moi covient par druerie
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
And it was Mrs. English’s birthday that fine autumn day.
Another bitterly cold October morning, and another night for the World Series. The cars below were already covered in frost. No doubt Rose’s continuous montage of Bing Crosby and Burl Ives Christmas tunes would be lulling the cats into la-la land in her bedroom. October through December seemed to be the best quarter of the year.
Back on the ranch, the cats scratched things, Collette graded tests for Rose, and Mom boiled potatoes for lunch in the early afternoon sunshine before choir.
Meanwhile, in some spare moments over her raspberry tea, Collette read of speculations regarding legends of gods and goddesses of the ancient world evolving from encounters with demons and the Nephilim.
Soon followed a hair trim for Collette at the hair-trimming place (at Mom’s encouragement) on the way to pick up Rose from choir. The lady who administered the hair cut had been the same lady to oversee the results of Carrie-Bri’s hair disasters.
“I think she was in here after her hair turned purple,” the lady said, working the scissors. “If I were you though, I don’t know if I’d quite trust her to color my hair.”
She made this last comment after hearing that Carrie colored Collette’s hair from time to time. Amazingly, out of all the hair Carrie had done, her own was the only head she ever managed to ruin.
Later in the afternoon, Joe gave her a quickly sketched caricature which he had composed on the way to Kansas City, of OLeif and Collette. Collette looked at the picture.
“I look like an Aztec.”
“No. Egyptian,” Joe protested. “I gave you the Sphinx nose. See?”
Collette did see. And now Rose would have her dream of actually seeing the Sphinx itself, in person.
“I’m going to dig around for the nose,” Rose had said firmly only the other day. “They can’t stop me.”
Collette did not bother going into the many details as to why she could not bring her pail and shovel and dig up the ancient sands of the Giza Plateau.
Before she left for the day, Collette read to Linnea while Linnea squished the cat. Compliant creatures they were to be treated thusly.
And while OLeif had a meeting to complete the St. Charles County Youth Orchestra’s website, Collette watched a bit of the game.